Perfume Review: Lancome Magie Noire
May 31st, 2006
Lancome Magie Noire was the perfume of my childhood. I wasn’t lucky enough to own it then as it was quite a rare thing to come by, back in the Soviet times. My friend’s mother, however, somehow managed to obtain a bottle, and I have such vivid memories running over to her place after school just so we could smell, and, even better, put on a drop of this potion which on rare occasions she allowed us to do. All of that was done completely unbeknownst to her mother, of course. It was a moment to be cherished! It was indeed a perfume of magic.
Just the other day I was in a department store and witnessed a conversation between a sales person at the Chanel counter (why it was not a Lancome counter is a mystery to me) and a customer. I didn’t hear the entire conversation but what I could hear was the sales lady saying Lancome had stopped making Magie Noire, and she had no idea where to find it, and perhaps you should check the internet. I was so tempted to interfere and say that you could still find it fairly easily but only in the eau de toilette concentration. In fact, most Lancome counters I’ve seen still carry eau de toilette. Quite a few internet discount perfume sites do, too. What’s lamentable, though, is that Magie Noire is superb in parfum, and, as far as I know, that’s what has been discontinued. If you’re lucky enough, you can still find it on ebay.
It’s a gorgeous floral oriental that reminds me a lot of Chanel Coco minus the spicy notes. According to Osmoz, the notes are: blackcurrant, hyacinth, bergamot, raspberry, honey, tuberose, narcissus, rose oriental, patchouli, vetiver, civet, and castoreum. The florals blend in harmonoiously, sweetened by honey and skillfully balanced by slightly animalic vetiver-patchouli mixture. The parfum has amazing sillage and an excellent staying power. I don’t have Magie Noire eau de toilette handy to compare to parfum but from what I can recall, it has a distinct bitterness about it and a gutsy attitude. I also believe it’s more potent than parfum. I’m seriously contemplating writing a petition to Lancome to reissue this beauty in parfum.
Image source: www.lancome-usa.com
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20 Comments
1. Marina | May 31st, 2006 at 9:17 pm
My mum had this one, I remember the bottle very vividly. I have no idea how she got the bottles she had. Kakoi-to blat, vidimo
2. Ina | May 31st, 2006 at 9:34 pm
Yes, exactly. It was definitely a “blat”. ;D But did your mom have it in parfum? I also remember that magazine ad with a woman’s bosom and a drop of perfume. I loved it so much I swear I could have put it up on the wall in my bedroom. ;D
3. Marina | May 31st, 2006 at 10:21 pm
My memory might be playing tricks with me, because I saw the black perfume bottles recently somewhere online, but I think that is what she had. In any case it was a sort of a round bottle, not a tall one. Hmm
I think Lancome still has that (?) or similar ad on their site if you click on Magie Noire.
4. Ina | May 31st, 2006 at 10:24 pm
Yes, I saw the ad but I don’t think it’s the same as the one I used to frequently see in the Burda magazines. ;D I plan to send you some parfum to try soon.
5. Marina | June 1st, 2006 at 8:15 am
Burda!
*sheds a sentimental tear* I’d love to see that magazine again.
6. Victoria | June 1st, 2006 at 10:28 am
My mom said that Lancome was sold at the regular stores, but it was expensive (40-60 rubles for a bottle of parfum) and rare. She had nearly everything from Lancome, Guy Laroche, Dior (she said that Dior fragrances were the least expensive ones) and Rochas. No wonder, I am fragrance addict!
7. Ina | June 1st, 2006 at 10:40 am
V., lucky you! All I had while growing up was numerous scented deodorants and random Dzintars perfumes.
No wonder I was extra nice to the afore-mentioned friend of mine – I needed to get into her apartment just to smell Magie Noire. It was my fix. ;D
8. IrisLA | June 5th, 2006 at 10:42 am
Hi Ina,
I used to wear the perfume oil of Magie Noire. One drop was plenty for sillage. Looking back, I realize that I must have been over-fragranced for the office!
9. Ina | June 5th, 2006 at 1:12 pm
Perfume oil? Now you got me interested. Must find a sample soon.
10. Aromascope » Jacomo&hellip | June 22nd, 2006 at 9:21 am
[...] Today I’m wearing Silences by Jacomo. Victoria’s review of Silences on her blog, Bois de Jasmin, inspired me to track down this mysterious bottle and try the juice myself (which I promptly accomplished on ebay). I must say I haven’t been very lucky with most fragrances created in 1970s (with the exception of Magie Noire and that only in parfum). So I was slightly dreading the arrival of Silences picturing myself being smothered by a loud chypre. The bottle arrived yesterday. I ripped the cellophane open, briefly appreciated its sleek design, and anxiously sprayed some on my hand. Lo and behold, the earth, er, floor, shook beneath me as I was overcome by its stunning gorgeousness (I know this is probably redundant use of “stunning” but I swear that’s how I felt). First of all, a chypre. From the 70s. That I love. Secondly, it doesn’t smother me. Thirdly, I can wear it now, in this hot and humid weather. Beautiful! Enthralling! Glamorous! [...]
11. Aromascope » My Fav&hellip | October 20th, 2006 at 12:20 am
[...] Magie Noire (in parfum) Magie (original) Climat Sikkim [...]
12. Ann | March 11th, 2007 at 12:43 am
Oh ladies; you have no idea the power of ‘Black Magic”, better known as Lancome’s masterful fragrance Magie Noire! I’ve worn this exquisite scent from the very first introduction. Every man in my life has known me for this fragrance, & has raptured in it…the stories I could tell, mmmm. It is an extremely sensual & powerful aroma, but not one that overwhelms. Since it’s origin in 1978, I’ve been fortunate to own two of the very tiny glass bottles of the parfum oil; sadly it is discontinued, at least here in the states. I lucked out about 3-4 years ago on eBay & won an auction for the second bottle that I treasure, only wearing on those very special of occasions, & placed on pulse points, & of course those areas that I hope to be touched. Needless to say, this bottle of parfum oil has to last forever!! I do wear my Magie spray daily, but admittingly, not as often as I used to due to inflation; I remember being able to get the largest size spray for around $36, now it is well over $56. Maybe someday I’ll get to Paris & stop in & see if Salon de Lancome has any of the Magie oil laying about in some remote stockroom. Magie Noire is indeed a most memorable fragrance, not just in & of itself, but for the memories I have when it was worn….ahhhh
13. Aromascope » Vintag&hellip | May 16th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
[...] in the early 80s, and quite a few of my friends’ mothers cherished its every drop, along with Magie Noire, Fidji, Poison. Since my own mother preferred less sophisticated perfumes back then, my only hope [...]
14. nicole | June 2nd, 2007 at 9:10 am
I too used to wear this perfume and fell in love with it. I was so disappointed when they stopped making it. The EDT is still wonderful, but by no means comparable to the perfume.
I would sign that petition if you started one!!!!!
15. Ina | June 4th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Nicole, I agree! I so wish I could smell what I smelled back in those days. It was beyond gorgeous!
16. dayna kucine | February 4th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
i live in manhattan was just on the subway and this woman next to me was wearing it, she was european, it was soooo beautful, so pure innocent feminine, comforting warm and embracing. I am also a perfume phanatic, and am in love with many of L’artisan’s beautiful scents, but this lancome scent, in particular was nothing that i have ever smelt me before
17. liz | May 30th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
You all are so right! You’ve reminded me I have a bottle of perfume oil tucked away in a drawer, a gift from my ex in 1986 when I was a newlywed. (I’m well rid of him, but the Magie is a great consolation prize!) I just got a whiff of it and it really does transport you. I love Magie Noire, it is like nothing else. The notes are interwoven so that you experience the floral notes and the animalic notes together. It’s like a drug.
18. Judy | July 15th, 2008 at 12:13 am
Absolutely my favorite scent, parfum only though. When it first came out they had a lot of special deals if I remember, and I was young enough to spend my money on such foolishness. Then, by the time I had money again, Lancome had stopped making the parfum. I was able to find some on ebay, and continue to look for it. It was and is the only scent I have ever worn where men would stop me on the street or in the supermarket, or even in the university library and ask me what I was wearing. Usually, sadly enough, because they wanted to get some for their wives or girlfriends, by that made me realize that it was certainly the scent for me. I was so glad to be able to find it on eBay.
19. KerriAnne | October 2nd, 2008 at 8:16 pm
I’ve worn Magie Noire for years – even when I was too young to wear it. It’s not an old woman’s perfume by any means, but it is definitely a woman’s aroma and not a young girls. The parfum has always been a real treat and I hoard it. Many years ago I read that the body lotion and body cream were made with parfum instead of eau de toilette so I tried it. It was more subtle, but stayed constant all day. Even that is getting difficult to find now.
I too have tried the oil. I even made my own body lotion with it and it was terrific. Sadly, I haven’t been able to locate the oil for many years.
Funny thing though, without even realizing it it became my signature scent. My kids, relatives, friends and old work colleagues have often commented on ‘that wonderful fragence’ that I always wear. Truly, there is something marvellous about pulling your scarf out of the coat sleeve and having this scent gently enrobe me.
20. Nedtelling med krø&hellip | October 31st, 2009 at 12:59 pm
[...] Aromascope sammenligner den med Chanels Coco, men uten krydderne, og – mja - det kan nok stemme med duftminnet. [...]